Rural Expectations

by Micah TweetenAmerican culture is continuously changing - movies, music, television shows, and other mass media forms all have the opportunity to change how we view an issue or part of our culture. Cities grow and decline, yet rural America has remained the same in growth and character: a low populated, simple lifestyle centered around agriculture, patriotism, and conservative Christianity. Understanding American culture is crucial in understanding the society itself as it exposes the heart of our culture and we can get an in depth look at the culture. This is all a part of a cycle within American culture: our environment changes our perceptions of the interactions within the rural American environment, also changing how we think and what decisions we make; shaping and changing our society as the cycle repeats. The work in the show is a direct reflection and exploration of rural Americana that provides connections to previous cultural observations (like that of Robert Frank), observes the influence of us on the environment and the environment on us, and reflects on my personal experiences in rural America.Tags: rural, America, photography, fine art, senior, thesis, documentation